Starting university is an exciting milestone, but it can also come with new challenges.

Brock University’s Learning Services team is helping students navigate that transition through two key programs: BU101 and Embedded Tutoring.

BU101 is a free, online non-credit academic skills program that students can complete at their own pace before or during their studies. Modules cover essential skills such as time management, academic integrity, research and writing strategies.

“As a mature student, going back to school meant learning how to learn while learning course content,” said second-year student Ashley Dawn, who is co-majoring in Psychology and Women and Gender Studies. “BU101 not only helped provide me context to what university learning looked like, but I found myself sharing information I learnt with other students who hadn’t taken a break from academia.”

She said she particularly valued the program’s modules on academic integrity, research and writing.

“I loved that I could take it before school started,” Dawn said. “I would recommend this free course to anyone starting at Brock.”

Through Embedded Tutoring, an academic support designed for specific courses, tutors with subject-area experience work with students on skills such as note-taking, study strategies and self-directed learning.

Faculty can integrate Embedded Tutoring by inviting tutors into their classrooms for workshops, hosting drop-ins in the Learning Centre or arranging review sessions tied to assignments.

“One of the most heartwarming things about Embedded Tutoring is how it builds confidence,” said tutor Sangmitra Madhusudan (BSc ’25).

Madhusudan said that students often arrive at drop-in sessions uncertain, but leave with a sense of accomplishment and deeper understanding.

“What’s even more special is when they bring friends along and it becomes a collaborative and supportive environment where everyone is learning together,” she said. “Embedded Tutoring isn’t just about academic support, it’s about showing students we’ve done it, and so can they, and they might even do it better.”

Madhusudan added that creating a welcoming space is especially meaningful to her.

“As a woman in computer science, it’s especially meaningful to show other women they’re not alone in this field,” she said. “But beyond that, it’s about supporting every student who has potential and just needs the right guidance to recognize it.”

Fellow tutor Tyler McDonald (BSc ’25) also said that the program’s biggest impact is the confidence it instills in students.

“The immediate benefit we, as tutors, often see is an increase in confidence and perseverance from students who take advantage of our services,” McDonald said. “It really is magical to build a rapport with some students and to watch their confidence and skill rise so quickly, especially if they’re coming from a place of discomfort with the material.”

McDonald said the mutual learning experience is a highlight of his work.

“I start to feel more comfortable with my abilities as a resource for students at Brock, and they start to feel more comfortable with material that they had perhaps written off as ‘impossible’ at some point,” he said. “That mutual relationship I can build with students is so infinitely valuable to me.”

As well as BU101 and Embedded Tutoring, Learning Services provides a wide range of academic supports, from skill-building workshops and tutoring to one-on-one consultations. The goal is to help students develop effective strategies, strengthen their academic performance and feel more confident in their studies.

To learn more about Learning Services programs, visit Brock’s Learning Services website or reach out via email [email protected]